Persona Alliance: The Answer of Life and Death
by AshCoveredWarrior
Summary: "He had sacrificed himself to save them. To save all of them from a future where none of them would have even been alive to thank him. But now, a new threat is dawning upon the world, one that even he cannot stop. And so, it is up to me." — Philemon.
1. Elimination Process

**ELIMINATION PROCESS.  
**

* * *

_**UNKNOWN TIME, VELVET ROOM. MARCH 3, 2013.  
**_

* * *

"**I'm sure you know who I am by now."**

"Yes…of course I do," Igor stated, in that jovial voice he'd always address someone with. Despite his rather cheerful disposition, I knew he was petrified.

Across from him was a blue-haired young boy. His eyes, which had once glowed with a prominent gray, now burned with an unsettling topaz. He had a very crooked and jagged grin, one which stretched out from ear to ear. He wore nothing but black, his overflowing coat fluttering about in the room as he adjusted his turtleneck vest.

He was an avatar of the Crawling Chaos, Nyarlathotep.

"**You know what I can do to you, simulacrum," **the avatar uttered, his voice making the atmosphere heavy in itself.

"I know, I know," Igor replied. "But, still…my dedication to my master shall never falter. I will not let you pass."

"**Foolish old man,"** the avatar growled. **"I need only the Compendium. Hand it over and I shall not harm you."**

"The Compendium will never be yours," Igor told him, waving a blue book leisurely, as if taunting him with it.

"**Are you certain that you want to follow through with this?" **the avatar asked, eyebrow raised.

"I should've involved myself in this the moment my master had created me."

"**Where are your 'children?' Wouldn't you want them here, to aid you in defeating me?"**

"They…have other duties to attend to." Igor said, a forlorn look flashing on his face for half a second. "Besides…should a father allow his children to witness his death?"

"…**Prepare yourself, simulacrum."**

"I already have." A card fluttered down Igor's hand, a card representing the Fool Arcana. "Orpheus Telos."

* * *

_**11:34 PM, TOKYO CITY. MARCH 4, 2013.  
**_

* * *

He bit his nails nervously, his teeth making a rather unsettling chattering noise as he continued to bite down on the keratin.

He backed even further against the wall, breathing heavier and heavier every second. _'__If only there was more time_,_'_ he thought to himself. _'__If only I hadn't been so stupid…'_

This man was one of the first Wild Cards. His name was Naoya Toudou. Decades before, he'd defeated a mad god formed out of pure nihilism, with the help of his friends, his lover, and a fragment of his own soul personified into the Egyptian god Amon-Ra.

"_**He gains, master,"**_ his Persona warned. _**"Show no mercy."**_

"I know, Amon-Ra," Toudou spat. "I know…"

He's gone by many names: the First Generation, the Wild Emperor, but the name he'd preferred was the first name that had been given unto him: Emperor of Souls. But that mattered little now. What did matter: the fact that he was being hunted down.

Imagine, the first Wild Card, the first of the breed of humans that could defy the spirit of humanity in itself, running and hiding for his life. I wanted to help him. Of course I wanted to help him. He was my student, my pride and joy. The first human I'd ever bestowed my power, in any form, to, in such a manner.

But I could not, for I had not the power to interfere in the mortal plane. I, Philemon, am meant only to give…and observe. Right now, though, I wanted to give every ounce of my power to aid Toudou against this…scum chasing him down, dogging him to the point of his insanity. But I had already given him everything he required.

It was up to him to use it. It has always been up to him.

And his efforts to hide had failed.

"Tch!" he grunted, panting ever-so-exhaustedly, glaring at his foe. The latter was hidden in the shadows the whole time, but a faint…no, not faint, scheming and vile grin could be seen on his face. "Bastard…you won't get me…" Toudou spat, defiant to the end.

"**I already have, Emperor of Souls…" **the man uttered, tauntingly, maintaining his grin. **"I trust you remember me?"**

"Who _could_ forget your horrid voice, Nyarlathotep…?" Toudou growled, baring his teeth. "Who'd you overtake this time…?"

"**He is of no matter…as of now."**

Nyarlathotep. Oh, my, do we have a history. We could be considered as siblings, he and I. I was borne out of the capacity for good and the will to change, but he was borne out of humanity's desire to die, to sin, to indulge.

Nyarlathotep and I had made a wager, decades prior; were humanity to suit the traits that personified me, change and resolve, he would be banished. However, were humanity to suit the traits that personified him, nihilism, greed, and vice, then I would be banished away.

I'd won. Toudou and his allies had helped me achieve that victory. Along with another band of Persona-users, one that'd sacrificed their own memories just to ensure my victory.

Tragic, but true. Now, though, Toudou was all alone. No allies to aid him. It was just him…and my 'brother.'

"…I should've known you were up to your old tricks…" Toudou chuckled weakly, remembering the corpses of his friends, his allies, the other Wild Cards of days gone past. "Damn you…if I could rip you apart myself, I would."

"**But you cannot, boy," **Nyarlathotep taunted. **"You cannot."**

"You killed Maki…" Toudou muttered, his teeth grinding against each other in rage. "You killed all of them…all of my friends…everyone I'd ever known and loved..."

"**You're surprised?"**

"Yes…to a degree…" Toudou panted, chuckling despite his consistent scowl. "Why didn't you do this before…?"

"**My goals back then, including my viewpoints, were…shallow, at best," **Nyarlathotep admitted, as if reluctant to do so. **"Now, I have a new agenda…a new goal…and I shall not let anyone stand in my way. Especially not the Persona-users who'd stopped me before. I shall not hold back…I've gotten stronger since then. My strength, the venom of human weakness has grown even more delectable than it had previously been…"**

"I won't let you," Toudou seethed. "I'll never let you win."

"**You have no choice in the matter, boy."**

"We all have a choice, monster." The boy lifted his hand up such that his palm faced the skies; it gave the impression that he was lending his hand over to Nyarlathotep. Just then, a card, glowing red and engulfed in black fire, appeared in the palm of that hand. "Everyone, even _you_, as much as I'd hate to admit it, taught me that."

"**Then come!"**

"Amon-Ra!"

His ultimate Persona had come forth. Clad in white, yet green-skinned, he wielded a black staff, with golden ornaments peppered all around it. His white shirt had a red sun emblazoned on the front, and his thighs were armored with gold. Belted around his waist was a red strand of rope, and on his head, an Egyptian Pharaoh's mask, with a huge feathered plume protruding from the top of its helm.

Quite fitting for the God of Hidden Generations, no?

"Shuuraigeki!" Toudou shouted. Amon-Ra, as if cued, rained down a torrential storm of electricity down onto the avatar of Nyarlathotep. It should have fried him into nothingness. The rage, the pure fury behind that attack, had decimated the very alleyway in which these two combatants had fought.

Yes, they were fighting in a dark, dreary alleyway. Not the most theatrical of places for a battle that would determine the fate of humanity, but, regardless…

It did little against Nyarlathotep's avatar, much to Toudou's shock and dismay. It scorched him, yes. But he healed himself in a few seconds. All the seared flesh, all the burnt skin, all the exposed innards, repaired immediately.

"**My turn."** Toudou's eyes widened as the avatar raised his hand up into the air. **"Megidolaon."**

* * *

_**UNKNOWN TIME, VELVET ROOM. MARCH 3, 2013.**_

* * *

Orpheus Telos burst out from Igor's palm, swinging his lyre at the avatar of Nyarlathotep in what seemed to be delight. It had indeed been a long time since he'd been sent to fight an opponent.

The avatar dodged the swing, leaping backwards and planting his feet firmly into the velvet carpet of the Room, landing onto the soft fabric before propelling himself back up in the air, unsheathing his sword as the air ran against his form.

The atmospheric weight of the avatar's weapon scorched the air. Red-orange sparks danced about as the blade swung upwards in the air, colliding into Telos' lyre.

Unfortunately, the lyre wasn't enough to counter the blade. Orpheus was sent flying backwards, vulnerable before the might of the avatar. The avatar ran his blade down Telos' exposed abdomen before slashing upwards, blue-white sparks sputtering about in the air, pouring out from the Persona's now-damaged red shell.

Telos dissipated, destroyed at the hands of this blue-haired entity.

But Igor continued to grin. There was much more up his sleeve than the Master of Strings.

He gritted his teeth, though, at the sight of the Persona of one of his beloved former guests being annihilated before his eyes.

"Kohryu!" The Golden Dragon of Wisdom burst out from the Hierophant card that Igor had smashed. "Destroy him!"

**"How pitiful."** A black card floated down onto the open palm of the avatar. It was of a horrid Arcana, one that I feared Nyarlathotep would use since the day he'd waged war against me. It was of the Shadow Arcana. Particularly, the Shadow Hierophant. **"Kohryu Quzhujian."**

And suddenly, out from the avatar's hand, a dragon burst out. It resembled Kohryu to an excruciating degree, excluding the facts that it had jet black scales, was bathed in scarlet lightning, and had red, fiery eyes that burned a horrifying shade of red. It was also larger than Kohryu by a substantial amount, I'd say, by five heads.

What was worse was that, judging from my observations concerning this avatar, he seemed to be a wild card. A Shadow wild card.

**"Strike him down."**

* * *

_**11:35 PM, TOKYO CITY. MARCH 4, 2013.**_

* * *

There were people around him suffering from third-degree burns. Children stuck under rubble, calling out for help. Elders moaning in abject, helpless agony. He could barely hear them, let alone try to help them…no matter how much he wanted to.

"I'm sorry," the avatar said, with an unnaturally human voice, contrasting greatly with his throaty and monstrous voice just a few minutes earlier. The shock it had dealt onto Toudou was almost alien to see. "I didn't want to have to kill you or your friends…but they were in the way. I've to admit, though, you should've seen this coming. I did kill the old man who ran the Velvet Room, after all."

"You...you killed Igor...?"

"Yes...he was an unfortunate victim as well."

"…You...bastard!" Despite his pain, and the fact that his body was battered to the point where he was basically confined to the floor, Toudou grabbed the blue-haired boy's pant leg with that disfigured, red, gored arm of his. "What…goal…could _possibly_ be gained…from all this death!?"

"…_Death_," the avatar mused, as if fond of that word, "is the very reason I had to kill you."

Toudou's eyes widened in shock and fear; confusion as well, to a lesser degree. What did he mean? What nonsense was he spouting?

"I might as well put you out of your misery," the man politely said, lifting his foot up in the air. "Do you have any last words?"

"Go to hell!" Naoya growled, outstretching his burnt, bloodied, and battered hand to summon another Persona-

_*CRUSH!*_

-but it was too late.

* * *

_**UNKNOWN TIME, VELVET ROOM. MARCH 3, 2013.**_

* * *

"Melchizedek!"

Igor continued to fight, even after Kohryu and Alilat's respective defeats.

**"Melchizedek Malum."**

Of course, the avatar continued to counterattack with a Shadow version of each Persona sent after him.

This pattern had continued on and on. Igor would summon a Persona, and the avatar would destroy it with one of the Shadow Arcana.

Shadow Personas were far stronger than Personas could ever be. The reason for this is that they are more unhinged, more uninhibited. They are not under control by any means...however, this avatar had the unique ability to possess power over them and retain their obedience.

A Shadow Persona can only be created if its host acknowledges the Shadow's existence, but refuses to take up a resolution within himself or herself to change for the better. The Shadow festers in its strength and growth, but it only grows stronger if its host desires for it to do so. It is not uncommon, though, for the Shadow to overtake its host, and become an Ultimate Shadow.

And...no one wants an Ultimate Shadow.

However, this avatar had somehow managed to place the Shadow versions of each Persona under his control, with little to no trouble.

It is not unheard of for there to be Shadow wild cards. There have been very few cases of this happening before, under the direct control of Nyarlathotep. However, each case ended in failure. The human soul simply cannot handle such an overbearing weight of malice and hatred.

However, it seemed Igor was not dealing with any ordinary human soul.

The battle continued. Melchizedek dove at Melchizedek Malum at near-impossible speeds, smashing the latter's armored head in with a golden fist that burned with a light that seemed to be from heaven itself. Malum, however, recovered immediately, his head repairing itself in an almost instantaneous fashion, before generating a single black orb that glowed, strangely, with an eerie red glow that seemed to resemble the fires of hell.

Tossing it, Malum had destroyed Melchizedek, who vanished in a bright red-yellow flash of light, erased from the realm entirely.

"Hmph!" Igor smashed another card in his fist. "Odin!"

**"Odin Rasende."**

* * *

_**10:06 AM, IWATODAI CITY. MARCH 5, 2013.**_

* * *

"...Hey. It's...um...it's been a while."

A brown-haired girl stood over two stony graves. Behind her were quite a few old friends of hers. Well, they were friends before. Now, the only thing that had bonded them together (if you could call it a bond) was the date March 5 itself.

"Junpei," she said. "Would you like to start us off?"

"Well, um..." the man called Junpei began, stroking his goatee with a certain unease about him. "I finally became a baseball player! Yeah...well, now, I coach a little league team...but it's still pretty fun, you know. I've always been good with kids, so, it's been...it's been real good...heheh..."

He dropped his arms after his face had grown an expression of pure regret.

"I...I've become a nurse," a teal-haired girl piped up, surprising the brunette, "in Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. Everyone's been really nice to me. Some of the patients haven't been very...cooperative, though, as of late...but I'm still happy with my job."

The brunette flashed a weak smile at the teal-haired girl before turning her head back to the two graves.

"Well...um...sorry Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai couldn't make it..." she said. "Both of them apologized. They said they had some work to do, but...they told us to give this to you."

A large bouquet of flowers was set down inbetween both graves.

"...I miss you." The brunette's eyes started watering. "The both of you...I miss you so much. We...we all do..."

Her other two companions remained silent.

* * *

_**UNKNOWN TIME, VELVET ROOM. MARCH 3, 2013.**_

* * *

"Unngh..." Igor groaned, his body sprawled out on the floor.

The Velvet Room was in utter shambles. The couch Igor had spent so much time sitting in and reclining in had been reduced to splinters. The blue velvet, the namesake of the room, was now stained with ash, dust, light flames, and black blood. The aria I'd grown so fond of hearing from time to time had disappeared, faded away in correspondence to the room's horrific state.

The avatar stood over the proprietor of the Velvet Room with conviction prevalent on his form. Black gunk had stained his uniform and his blade, and his yellow eyes showed little more than disgust and rage.

**"You impish,"** he placed his foot on Igor's head, **"insolent,"** he pushed his foot downard **"hunchbacked," **Igor whimpered in pain, **"maggot!"**

"I...will..." a _cracking_ sound could be heard, "never submit...to you..."

**"Give me the Compendium," **streaks of flame sparked out from his eyes, **"_now_."**

"The definition...of insanity...is repeating the same action on a constant basis...and expecting different results," Igor chuckled, enduring an excruciating amount of pain. "Why demand of me the same thing...when I refuse to give it to you _again and again_!?"

**"...Very well." **He raised his foot in the air. **"This is your reward for your services, simulacrum."**

_*CRUSH!*_

**"...Hmph."  
**

He grabbed the blue book that Igor had taunted him with just moments earlier. Opening it, he found it to be blank.

**"...A fake."**

* * *

_**12:00 MIDNIGHT, SEA OF THE SOUL. MARCH 5, 2013.**_

* * *

"Hello," I greeted.

My guest turned his head to meet me. He looked bewildered, confused even. I did not blame him, after all, he had been transported into this realm so suddenly.

"...Who...who are...?"

"My name is Philemon," I told him. "I am here...to ask for your help."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

* * *

I WILL UPDATE THIS AFTER FINISHING _THE ALTERNITY PARADOX_ AND _THE ALTERNITY PARADIGM_.


	2. Retaliation

**RETALIATION.  
**

"Philemon...?"

My guest, with a bewildered expression on his face, scanned his surroundings warily, his pure white eyes darting about in a combination of awe, fear, amazement, and curiousity.

I decided to let him take it all in.

"Where...where am I...?"

"You are in a realm known as the Sea of the Soul," I told him. "This is the realm representing the human consciousness, the human spirit, the human will to live."

"...Human?" he questioned. "What is a human?"

"...Please, sit," I smiled.

He turned his head to the blue velvet couch I'd generated for him minutes prior to his arrival here. He kept his composure quite firmly, although I could tell that he was anxious. His eyes and eyebrows arched out of worry. His lips pursed in insecurity. His fingers twitched with uncertainty. Turning to me, he gave me an admittedly pathetic look, a look that seemed to be that of someone unsure of what to do next.

I shouldn't blame him, so I won't. After all, I'd created him just a few seconds ago.

"Go on," I told him. "Rest assured, I will not harm you in any way."

"..."

The white fringe his hair had been styled in flopped about in the air as he began to sat down, still uneasy about the whole affair. I was sure he was getting less anxious by the second, though. He's the first guest I've ever had to look me in the eyes without wariness. Instead, he gave me a blank look, a patient one, as if waiting for me to answer his unasked questions.

I decided to indulge him.

"You could say I am your father, in a way," I told him. "But what I am about to ask of you, and what I am about to grant to you would completely undermine such a claim."

"...What do you mean?"

"How would you react if I were to tell you that there is a world out there thriving with life? That such a world, and its peoples, have a collective consciousness so powerful such that it could create other beings, other worlds?"

"...Does such a world exist?" my guest asked me, intrigued.

"Oh yes. Such a world does. In fact, the world I am referring to has already created new worlds, other worlds, and other beings...such as this realm, the Sea of Souls, and me, its living embodiment."

"..." My guest's eyes widened in shock.

"I'd assumed you would remember everything by now..." I mused.

"...Excuse me?"

"Does the name 'Makoto Yuki' sound familiar to you?"

"...It..." his hands trembled, "I..." his body shook, "I remember..." his eyes widened.

All of the memories came rushing back into his mind. The memories of the otherworldly, demonic beings he'd slaughtered. The memories of the hell he'd ventured into. The memories of the power he'd once had. The memories of the friends he'd made and forged into unbreakable bonds...and the sudden destruction of those bonds. The rage returned, if only for a fraction of a second. He let it go. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"I have to go back," he said, the life returning to his voice. "Th-the Seal! I've got to get back! Take me back there! Nyx will-!"

"Settle down," I told him.

"'Settle down!?'" he roared. "The world's going to end, and you're telling me to settle dow-!?"

"Nyx will not be going anywhere."

"...What?"

"Your soul is still guarding the Seal," I assured him. "You needn't to rage."

"...How is that even...?"

"I did not extract your soul from the Seal. I merely placed your consciousness in a separate body, a body I'd created. Would I be so reckless?"

"I...I..." He sat back down onto the couch, breathing with an air of relief about him.

"However," I said, "this will not last. The Seal not only requires a soul, but a consciousness to accompany said soul. Even with the power of the Universe, the Seal still requires that ounce of humanity."

"...Then what-?"

"The Seal will hold for about...a year, at least. At most, two. If that occurs, your soul will dissipate, the Seal will crumble, and Nyx shall descend onto humanity once again."

"If that's the case," he marched over to me, pure fury prevalent in his eyes, "_then why did you do any of this in the first place?_"

"Like I said," I told him, "I need your help."

"...With what?"

"There is a new threat dawning upon mankind," I said. "And...as much as I'd hate to say it, you are partly to blame. If not, entirely to blame."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember what'd happened the day before you died?"

"...Yes."

"The betrayal you felt...the betrayal you _still_ feel, the rage, the agony, the pain?"

"Of course," venom was laced in his voice, "it's obvious that I still remember. But I had to keep going as the Seal. For the sake of humanity...and for their sakes, too."

"I don't doubt you in that respect," I said. "But your pain has rather...ill consequences."

"What?"

"The anger in your heart has created an abomination. A being neither Shadow nor human. I've chosen to label such a monstrosity a Manifest."

"'Manifest?'"

"This being was borne out of your rage. Was borne out of your hatred and utter pain. Something borne out of the pain of one who had achieved the Universe...would be rather unpleasant, wouldn't it?"

"..."

"It has become something undeterrable, unstoppable, undefeatable. Unless someone with the exact amount of power would stand against it. Thus, here you are."

"Can't I just...let go of my pain, then? Can't I just release all my hatred?"

"In such a case, it would be destroyed. But there is a complication."

"What kind?"

"My nemesis, Nyarlathotep, the being representing the darkness within the souls of every single living being on the mortal plane, has taken the Manifest under his wing. He's imbued the Manifest with enough power to remain even if you would let go of the hatred it had sprung up from to begin with."

"...Damn."

"And so, I have a mission for you to accomplish. You have to defeat this Manifest and the being taking it as a host, for they are both planning the same thing: the annihilation of the human race."

"...What?"

"They are planning to pry your soul from the Seal."

"...And how are they planning to do that?"

"Havoc. Destruction. Unleashing so much horrific, untold disasters upon the world such that people would lose all hope...and merely wish for their miserable existences to end. Those who'd still have a shred of hope would die. Those who'd take up arms against them would die."

His eyes told me everything. Not that I didn't even know to begin with.

"So," he began, "all this is my fault."

"Yes. Unfortunately."

"...Alright then. I'll fight this Manifest."

"Are you certain you're up to the task?"

"You bring me all the way here, explain all this, and ask me if I'm certain?" he snarled. "Of course I am."

"Very well then," I passed him a glowing blue card, one of the Fool Arcana, "you won't need that gun of yours anymore."

"This is not going to end well, is it?"

"It all depends on you," I said. "That card is, in basic terms, a much more powerful version of a Compendium. It contains each and every Persona you'd welcomed into your sea of souls, and you can choose which Persona to summon through it."

"Fascinating."

"Want to test it out?"

After a moment of silence, he crushed the card in his hand.

A blue aura circled around him, bathing him in an azure fire. Sparks blew out of his skull as one of his most valiant battle companions burst out of his psyche, as diligent and as fierce as ever before.

"Nice to see you again, Orpheus."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

* * *

...

Okay, I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE PARADIGM AND THE PARADOX GET DONE.

PROMISE.


End file.
